


Into You

by Purecopy



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: F/M, Friendship, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:06:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26005402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purecopy/pseuds/Purecopy
Summary: She was a cold, serious girl; a thing of beauty and wit. Aomine Daiki never paid attention to her, or to anyone in their school in general, except for a select few in their basketball team. One day, however, that same girl confessed to him out of nowhere, and she somehow caught his interest. Let us see how the basketball idiot tackled this sort of thing.
Relationships: Aomine Daiki/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 7





	Into You

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I already posted on FFdotnet under the same pen name. I am migrating some of my stories to this site and will continue them here instead. Thank you.

**Into You**

It was just Monday and Aomine was already bored out of his skull, deciding to go home as quickly as possible while the class crept into a close. He had long since tuned out the monotonous droning of the teacher - a lecturer whose eyes kept flitting over his side of the room, he had noticed since the beginning of class. By the narrow slit of their eyes, he knew the teacher was uptight, perhaps losing temper every time he released a yawn. He had been bad with lectures, or listening in general, especially to subjects too verbose for his simple brain. He felt they should give him props for staying awake through their boring monologues, or simply be glad he even bothered to show up for their classes when he could be skipping, staying at home or on the school rooftop sleeping.

Another minute passed and the sound of the school bell shook him awake; the clamor of students preparing to leave was music to his ears. Aomine remained on his seat as he allowed himself to stretch, glancing over the windows and briefly admiring the sunset view. It was an uneventful day - the usual, really - but somehow he felt like it had been so long since he felt rather peaceful.

It had only been a week since he suffered defeat against Seirin High at the Winter Cup. It still felt surreal to him, yet liberating in a way that finally he was no longer bored with the sport he dearly loved. The passion he held so fiercely for it had returned stronger and lit brighter than ever.

Yes. Life was good. This time, it was even getting better.

The classroom had fallen silent as students eventually left and Aomine decided it was time to go. His gaze shifted to his bag sitting on his table, and he found a student - maybe a classmate - standing right before his table. His eyes automatically focused on the other's chest, shrewdly eyeing it for a moment as if tallying something in his head, and then finally lifting up his gaze to meet the other.

A pair of obsidian eyes were fixated on him, intently staring like a crow eyeing a prize. At first glance, she seemed plain to him, but once he caught that small yet eye-catching mole on the edge of her left upper lip, he was sure to remember her face.

He observed her features in an effort to jog his memory. She looked familiar - of course she did since they were obviously classmates. Then again, he was not one to pay attention to anyone in their school, unless they were associated with basketball.

"What do you want?" Aomine's voice was low, and his eyes sloped down in a frown. His own stupid attempt of trying to remember something he never even cared to know irritated him.

"Aomine," she said then, holding his gaze firmly as if demanding authority over his attention. "I am Yorukami Ruri, but please feel free to simply call me Ruri."

He lifted an eyebrow in intrigue. He already found it strange enough for her to be suddenly approaching him and making small talk with him, but she was even casually giving him permission to address her with her first name. At the same time, it amused him that she had enough courage to talk to him when he'd been wearing such an intimidating scowl most times. He'd been perpetually bored since the end of Junior High, he couldn't imagine the reason for this girl to approach someone like him.

"So? There's no reason for us to talk anyway." He drawled, feeling already tired at their conversation. He began to tidy up his things, but the rigid clench of her shoulders somehow piqued him.

"I know this is the first time we spoke to one another, but I want to let you know," she paused, a flicker of hesitation crossed her features, then she inhaled softly, giving her the last boost of confidence she needed to finally drop the bomb on him--

**"I like you, Aomine Daiki."**

The words fell hard between them, firm like a conviction, and it caught him so off guard that he was lost for words, navy blue orbs growing in both disbelief and awe, and his jaw had gone slack from the absurdity of it all.

He just got confessed to! Someone actually confessed to him!

_Him! Of all people!_

They were quiet for a long time, and the longer they idly stared at each other, the more he grew to admire her boldness, and beauty, because compared to his previous encounters with females, she was unlike any other. She did not try to get him through tears, nor did she try to get him through anger; no pink love letters or overtly cutesy gifts to get his attention. She just straight up walked up to him and outright told him what she wanted him to know. Straightforward and serious, and she stood in silence after, patiently waiting for his response, stubbornly holding his gaze, her eyes refusing to look away or even blink, and by the expression she wore at the time he could tell there was a hint of trepidation in there but did not let it show so obviously that he had to look at her carefully to make sure he was not imagining that fear he caught from the barely perceptible quiver of her soft-looking lips.

He smirked, one that was playful and daring. "What? Are you asking me out?"

Her breath rushing out of her alerted her to the fact that she’d been holding it. She was too convinced that asking Aomine out would be an uphill battle, and was prepared to fight for it, the option of starting out as friends she willed to go through, but the response she received sounded like a chance so readily given to her at that moment, that she was beginning to doubt her wakefulness.

She was surprised, and very happy too, but did not let it show, because she wanted to leave a strong impression, one that was different from the other girls he may have dated previously. Keeping her cool, she spoke her next words with aplomb. “Yes. Please go out with me.”

He glanced over her chest once more, appraising it for the second time and finally answering, “Yeah, okay.”

“Then, Aomine,” she smothered the gleeful, exuberant chuckle she wanted to let out for a triumphant result, internally praising herself for her willingness to take a chance. “May I call you Daiki from now on?”

His gaze snapped back to her face, and he found her looking so very pleased, a hint of pride he never expected to see from a girl’s face, and he found it becoming of her, yet that didn’t sit well with him. Then it struck him, an overwhelming wonder of how the gal came to like him, and the feeling morphed into something dark, wishing to break her seeming indomitable spirit. “We’ve barely started. Don’t you think it’s too early for that sort of thing?”

She blinked, the surprise eminent on her face. The optimism she held was easily shot down by his ominous response, and the alarm she felt rang in the quaver of her voice, “I, I understand.”

A stutter, proof of the sheer amount of determination she had to wield in order to rip out a ‘yes’ from him. And it brought him an immense sense of pride, that someone wanted him so bad they decided to make such a bold, albeit very embarrassing too, move. He was desired, and girls still flocked to him despite him not even trying.

But he didn’t let it get to his head, he didn’t want to ruin it and end up complicating things. A girl was serving herself in a silver platter right in front of him since - well, he did not bother to count the months when last he was confessed to - and he was not foolish to simply reject her, especially not when a gutsy gal like her approached him.

With a huff, Aomine got up to his feet and threw his bag over his shoulder. Her gaze followed him, still staring intently at his face, and he interpreted it as a challenge. He hovered closer to her, staring her down like she had just offended him. “What is it? Spit it out, Yoru…” his sentence trailed off, he couldn’t recall the fullness of her family name, so he settled on referring to the name he did recall, “Ruri.”

She brightened at the mention of her given name, a growing blush had surfaced just beneath her eyes, making her look ever lovelier than he first laid eyes on her. But the sharpness of her gaze betrayed that beauty, and the words she spoke next came across as an invitation to a duel, “Then, will you go out with me this coming Saturday?”

* * *

The following days seemed to pass slowly, but Aomine found himself less listless than usual. Although he had finally become eager to train, he still felt lazy from time to time. However, since he began dating a certain someone, he found himself looking forward for something else other than basketball. Saturday couldn’t come any faster.

She did not bother him most of the time, much to his surprise, and suspicion too. Since that day, he’d been keenly aware of her existence, sitting at the front row directly before the teacher’s table. During classes, once he was bored of pretending to listen, he caught himself staring at her. Her hair spilled long and sinuous down her back, reminding him of the starless night sky, and suddenly he felt an urge to run his hand through her hair, to feel its sleek, silky strands, but the feeling quickly vanished once he heard the loud noise of the bell signaling his long awaited break.

“Do you want to eat together?”

“Yeah.”

Unsurprisingly, she approached him first, always the one to initiate anything at all. She did not seem to mind the looks that were thrown at their direction, and of course he didn’t mind too, and the way she carried herself confidently, whether she was aware of it or not, earned her a lot of points on him.

They ate together at the cafeteria, because Aomine never brought a lunchbox to school, not that there wasn’t anyone to make it for him, because he definitely wouldn’t make it himself. But his date brought a lunchbox with her, which looked real delicious that got him curious, “Do you cook?”

She flinched, something that seemed so foreign on such a poised woman. “No.”

Aomine raised a brow at that, “No?” He eyed her lunchbox for a moment, unceremoniously took some to get a taste, a startling delectable flavor spread in his mouth, and then he observed her.

She didn’t seem to mind what he did, but her expression told him of her feelings of shame and defeat, and it got him intrigued. “This is delicious. Who made it?”

She pursed her lips, and the mole above her lips seemed to shift in a manner that distracted him. “My brother,” was her quiet, reluctant reply whilst avoiding his gaze.

It was news to him, that she had a brother, and _that_ brother cooked instead of her. At least, she didn’t lie about it.

He was still disappointed though, “Hmm, so you don’t cook...”

“I can cook patties!” She stood up abruptly, the chair grating noisily against the tiled floor, clear panic in her eyes.

She saw how surprised Aomine looked at her, after which turned into amusement. And she had become aware of the unwanted attention she accidentally attracted, but she did not allow herself to falter there, clearing her throat and speaking in an even tone to clarify, “I know how to cook patties.”

“Yeah? So?” Aomine clearly enjoyed the collapse of her calm demeanor, and she inwardly cursed, because the smug smirk decorating his face only made him look ever more handsome to her.

She sniffed, because snorting was unladylike, and she tried to force the color from rising in her cheeks, “I know how to make burgers. I have heard you like them,” she gently sat back down on her chair, tucking a few dark strands behind her ear, and stubbornly avoiding his gaze as an attempt to forget her blunder and calm her nerves, “I can make you burgers, if you so please.”

Her coy reaction brought on a smirk, he couldn’t help it, especially not around someone as striking as she. He placed an elbow over the table, resting his chin on his upturned palm. “If you so please,” he said softly, as if testing the words on his tongue, and then he threw her an inquisitive look, “Why do you talk like that?”

She spared him a glance, but looked away soon as she found intense navy blue orbs fixed on her, the blush she struggled to control had resurfaced. “You dislike it?”

He hummed lightly before answering honestly, “It sounds weird. Too formal and gross.”

She turned to him, the shift of her head sharp as a whip, and it was worry he saw in her eyes. “I sound…gross?”

“What? No! Your voice sounds good! It’s just-” he cut himself off, because he heard himself a little too late, a small slip of the tongue, a hint of how much he liked the velvety sound of her voice. The grinning of her eyes was evidence enough, nevertheless, he was relieved to have averted a possible disaster. “Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, it’s weird you’re being formal with me when we’re dating.”

She perked up at the last word he dropped, repeating it over and over inside her head. The casual way he spoke of it didn't matter to her, the man she liked acknowledged they were dating, and it sent her over to the moon. “Can I call you Daiki now?”

He looked at her a long time, as if assessing her character, “You know, I’m surprised you keep asking me for permission. Most people would’a gone ahead and called me however they wanted regardless.”

She returned his gaze squarely, and replied earnestly, “People like that are rude, and rude people tend to be disliked. That is the exact opposite of what I’m trying to do.”

He was taken aback, speechless for a moment, marveling at the sincerity she consistently displayed.

“Or is it true that you like bad girls?”

The following question jolted him awake from his daze, and a frown immediately fell on his face. “Where the hell did you hear that from?”

“If you’re unaware, lots of rumors about you revolve around the campus,” she spoke of it like it was common knowledge. “You’ve got a fan club, you know.”

He smirked. “And I believe you’re part of that fan club?”

“No,” she replied weakly, a flicker of disappointment passed her face, “Joining is through invites, and I’m aware they invited every girl in school, yet I didn’t receive any invitation.”

He snorted. “Why even bother? You’re already dating me.”

Heat flushed her cheeks once more. It was the second time he acknowledged the two of them dating, and she couldn’t help but swoon over it. Her heart pounded loudly against her ribcage. “Maybe so, but I need the information.”

“About what?”

“About you.”

“Huh? But I’m right here.”

She blushed again, and she couldn’t help but feel defeated for some reason. Regardless, she decided to elaborate further. “Well, you’re right but, before I confessed to you, for someone like me, information is something of an asset to catch your attention. Your fans are well-informed regarding your likes and dislikes, and I refer to the rumors they spread about you.”

“Oh? So the idea of a direct confession came from rumors?”

“Oh, that?” She giggled delicately, and her voice seemed to convey a certain fondness at the memory. “It was my idea. I live by the belief that nothing can be gained without taking risks. Besides, I don’t want to give up without even trying.”

He seemed satisfied with what he heard, and it only compelled him to tease her more. “I guess I do like bad girls.”

The abrupt remark from the boy made her jolt in her seat, and anxiety began to creep under her skin. “Is that so?”

He grinned rather playfully, “Yeah. Feisty ones especially.”

She seemed to have gotten the message, and it helped her regain her composure, her eyes blazed like ignited. “Really now?” she challenged.

His grin only widened. “Really.”

Aomine found it fun teasing her. She brought a certain kind of challenge he didn't know he wanted, and the composure she lost after acting all confident entertained him. The elegance she carried around, and that iron-clad control she wore when she walks on her own simultaneously pleased and bothered him. Although it was flattering that the girl he dated could hold her own, an odd feeling of insecurity sometimes passed him, hurting his ego at the same time, and the awareness of it annoyed him.

Perhaps it was foolish to feel that way, when he knew he didn’t like her back. But he couldn’t deny it anymore, his interest in her.

* * *

“Dai-chan, don’t you have something to tell me?”

It was just a regular day, where Touou’s ace came in tardy to the gym, **again** , which obviously irked Touou’s basketball team manager. But unlike before, his tardiness had reduced to two times a week, and it was better than him never showing up to practice.

Aomine had just entered the place, and hearing the nagging of his childhood friend made him wince. His bag dropped to the floor, and he sat down heavily on the bench, his body slouching as his gaze passed over the pink-haired once. “Yeah, yeah, sorry I’m late. Slept through class and forgot the time,” he recited this like he was being forced by a teacher to read out an apology letter.

“Anything else?”

He frowned at the sulky tone she used, already conscious of the subject she was about to open. “What is it, Satsuki?”

Momoi pouted sullenly. It upset her when she heard, because she believed she was entitled to learn about her childhood friend’s crushes, especially when she was very much open about hers.

“I’ve heard people saw you with a girl in the cafeteria. Who is it?! How did that happen?! Why did you never tell me you have someone you like?! I didn’t know you confessed to someone! That’s not fair!” She was half-complaining and half-sulking about it, but above all, she was excited. Never did she imagine the basketball idiot would find some genuine crush, not when all he cared about was the sport he loved and nothing else.

Irritation crossed his face for a brief moment, before a wearied sigh escaped his lips. “It’s not - it’s the other way around. She confessed to me.”

She raised a hand at that, utter disbelief written on her face. “Wait, hold on, you’re telling me a **_girl_ **confessed to you?”

Aomine only nodded, darting his eyes sideways as he began his warm-up exercises, trying to ignore his childhood friend’s annoying cat-like smile.

And Momoi found it extremely funny, and amusing. “You’re not Ki-chan,” she said teasingly, her grin filled with mischief. “How can that happen?”

He threw her a fleeting glare, and then he snorted. “Well, it really happened.”

“When did she confess anyway?”

He didn’t answer immediately, but relented anyway. “Last Monday.”

Momoi cocked her head to the side thoughtfully, humming lightly as she tried to imagine the actual confession happening in her head, “Hmm, you’re really dating someone now. I’m curious. Why didn’t you turn her down?”

“She looks pretty,” he answered plainly, remembering the girl’s image brought a smug smirk to his face, “And she’s borderline F-cup.”

“Dai-chan!” Momoi shouted in annoyance, practically admonishing the man. “What did I say about dating people with above C-size boobs?! Be more mindful about this! You should know the person first before saying yes, you perverted idiot! Take into consideration their background and personality! Expand on the things you like!”

Aomine was evidently peeved by her scolding, but decided against commenting about it and instead, heaved a sigh in mental exhaustion. “She seems decent. Not everyone can just walk up to me and ask me out, you know.”

Large, pink eyes stared incredulously at the tanner-skinned teen, she couldn’t believe her ears. It might seem like a careless remark, but to her it sounded close to a compliment any girl can get from **the** Aomine Daiki. A sense of curiosity and admiration for that mysterious person washed over her. She simply couldn’t believe the Miracle Ace was capable of praising anyone but himself.

“Who is she?!” she inquired, almost demanding. Whoever this headstrong woman was, she absolutely had to meet her. Perhaps she could give her some advice on how to be brave, if not as bold as her, and progress her still-dubious relationship with a certain phantom player. “Please tell me you know her name!”

“Ruri.”

Momoi looked at him wide-eyed in astonishment. “Ruri? As in **_the_ **Yorukami Ruri?!”

He looked confused. “What? Am I supposed to know her?”

“She’s in the Student Council as our year representative, and she topped the ranking exams!” Momoi pointedly looked at him, eyeing him with skepticism as she added, stressing each and every word, “She’s the best student Touou Academy has, praised for her beauty and wit. Are we talking about the same person?”

His face then looked as if she had just insulted him, his mother, and his nonexistent cat. The implication of who deserved who left a bad taste in his mouth. “If she’s so great then, I’m even greater because **_she_ **came unto me,” he said then, his mood improving a little at the idea, “She asked **_me_ **out and I said okay.”

“Why am I just learning about this now?” Momoi was beginning to act hysterical, throwing her arms up in the air and making various frustrated and sulking faces at the same time. “This is big news, Dai- _chan_! You and Yorukami- _san_ together? I can’t even imagine! That’s like saying the empress accepted a marriage proposal from a peasant!”

“Oi, Satsuki! That’s enough trash-talk!” he growled, grounding out his teeth in annoyance. “If you have complaints, tell it to her.”

So when Saturday arrived, the Aomine household was stormed by a very enthusiastic and somewhat creepy pink-haired girl late in the morning, at around eleven o’clock.

“I’m spying on you, today! Dai-chan!”

Aomine was still lounging over their couch, reading his favorite Horikita Mai idol magazine while the TV was left switched on. He had heard Momoi’s voice, but ignored it entirely.

“Satsuki-chan! Good morning!” An older woman in an apron called, the mother of the Miracle ace. She greeted her with a warm smile on her face, but soon it was replaced by a mix of concern and confusion. “Why do you look like that?”

Momoi wore dark clothes, with a hoodie, a black mask and large sunglasses. She carried with her a large backpack. “It’s my disguise. Good morning, auntie.”

“Disguise?” The good lady was obviously confused, but eventually shrugged it off, convinced that the youth of the present was just so different than the past. “Daiki! Satsuki-chan’s here!”

“I know ma,” Aomine drawled, closing his magazine and dragging himself off the couch. He glanced at the wall clock hanging above their TV and figured it was still too early for **that** , making him scowl at the girl emerging on their hallway.

But his anger easily subsided, making way for unbridled laughter. “Satsuki, what the hell is that,” he managed in between wheezes, “What the fuck are you wearing?! You look like a lousy criminal!”

She only glared at him. “And why aren’t you getting ready yet?! Do you intend to make Yorukami-san wait for you?!”

Her complaints fell on deaf ears as the teen continued laughing, though he seemingly tried to stop, resulting to snorts, sniggers, and more shoulder shaking.

The pink-haired decided he was hopeless without her, glad that she thought ahead to help out the basketball idiot. She stomped towards him and dropped her backpack on the couch, and then zipped it open, revealing it to be packed with clothes.

When Aomine finally stopped laughing, he observed the ridiculous number of articles she had been pulling out of the shady-looking bag for a few seconds then, and it was rather worrying. “What’re those for and where’d you get them?”

She paused to look at him, face serious until her large, pink eyes grinned in a disturbing manner. And her next words manifested his fear. “Ki- _chan_ helped me in picking them out. You owe him, by the way.”

“Wha- You fucking told Kise?!”

“Why not? He’s the best guy to consult in this type of thing.”

“Please tell me it’s just him…”

“Oh yeah! Akashi-kun sounded very impressed with you. It seems he's acquainted with Yorukami-san’s brother in the past.”

“Akashi?!”

“Muk-kun and Kagamin were so surprised, though I can't blame them. Midorin didn’t seem to care, but I’m sure he’s happy for you. Ah, that’s right! Tetsu- _kun_ wanted to congratulate you, Dai- _chan_!”

“That’s a lot of unnecessary people knowing about this!” Aomine felt so exhausted just from their conversation. He wasn’t even sure why he was surprised with the pink-haired girl’s revelation. It was the principal reason why he didn’t tell her immediately in the first place, because the whole thing was bound to spread like wildfire among their common friends.

Generally, he didn’t mind people knowing, but he wasn’t the type to go around and tell everyone about it so he still felt uncomfortable with what his childhood friend did. But hey, whatever, what’s done was done. It mattered little anyway, because his problem at that point was curbing Momoi’s excitement. It was as if she was the one going on a date.

“Anyway, I thought you don’t believe me? Why’d you tell everyone?”

She huffed, suddenly pointing a finger towards him. “That’s why I’m in disguise! I’ll go with you, and see who she is with my own two eyes!” She declared resolutely, leaving no room for argument even though Aomine really **really** wanted her to just leave him alone in that date.

It took them more than a couple of hours to finally be on their way, because they wasted most of their time arguing. Aomine disliked flashy garments, while Momoi kept encouraging him to try them on because ‘ _it’s a special date, you gotta impress the Empress_ ’ and it irritated him to no end because he was not the one who wanted to impress whoever.

They hadn’t exchanged home addresses (locations) yet, so they agreed to meet somewhere halfway. Yorukami was the one to suggest Maji Burger, because it was more convenient for Aomine, and she openly stated she didn’t mind compromising. ‘ _I’m the one who wants to win points_ ,’ she had told him, and frankly, where it stroke his ego, it hurt him too.

And he was the one to suggest the time, because somehow he wanted to contribute something in the arrangement. However, he was already failing at punctuality, in which he was supposed to be there by one o’clock, he was coming at two.

He did think of not coming anymore. Maybe Yorukami already went home. He couldn’t imagine anyone waiting for someone that long, because if it was him, he would have gone home after five minutes of extra waiting, and he was already being generous with that length.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!” Momoi yelled, though already out of breath, because she hurried together with the blue-haired teen.

“Because you were being annoying that I forgot to mention it,” he retorted, still very much fine thanks to his improved stamina, though he was already breaking a sweat.

“Isn’t exchanging numbers the first thing you do when you’re dating?!” She shouted back, pausing for a moment to catch her breath.

“Seems like she forgot to ask,” he deadpanned, brushing past her. He wasn’t willing to wait for her, more like, he wanted her to get lost already.

“Why didn’t **_you_** ask for her number?” Momoi argued, resuming her sprint.

Aomine didn’t reply, the fast-food restaurant’s outline was already within his sight. Anyhow, what’s done was done, though it did make him wonder why they never thought of exchanging numbers in the first place.

Soon they drew near the establishment, Aomine stopped himself from entering and decided to scan the vicinity first despite Momoi’s protests and eagerness to simply enter the shop. The pink-haired, guilty as she was for her childhood friend’s extreme tardiness for that special day, although reluctant, still followed him to check through the windows, searching for any sign of the blue-haired teen’s supposed date.

It didn’t take them long to find her - a girl with long, sable hair, its locks framing her face down to her chin so fittingly, showing off her high forehead. Yorukami Ruri sat alone at a table nearest to the entrance by the large window of Maji burger, a half-eaten burger and a drink on her table, keeping herself busy reading a book. She was wearing a white collared blouse, high-waist loose jeans, and a pair of red high-heeled pumps, and despite all her outfit’s casualness, her impeccable beauty stood out. Carrying such a regal bearing, she looked out of place to linger in such a shabby place, and she attracted all sorts of attention - leers, stares and glares. And she bore the attention with a pride that seemed a little too cool to be sincere, but Aomine wasn’t one to be certain, because the girl was more adept in keeping herself in check when unaccompanied.

“It’s really her…” Momoi mumbled to herself, still in disbelief, but there was a tinge of amazement in there. And Aomine had heard her, tugging the corners of his lips into a smirk, his pride swelled at the idea of the hard truth slapping itself on her face.

“Satisfied?” Aomine sneered, “Now, can you **_please_ **leave already?”

“No way! I want to talk to her!” Momoi argued, making a fist in a show of determination. “This is a chance of a lifetime! I need to know why she chose **_you_** , of all people!”

“What did you say?!” Aomine snarled back, losing patience at the pink-haired’s shenanigans.

She jabbed her index finger against his face, startling the blue-haired teen. “Listen up, Dai-chan! She’s the greatest catch you’ll ever get! Akashi-kun was seriously impressed, and that says a lot! Don’t screw up!”

A vein throbbed in his forehead. She had gone too far. “Shut up, Satsuki! You’re the one screwing this up! I don’t care how fucking great she is! I’m the one who decides that shit! Now, get lost-” his sentence was interrupted when he caught a glimpse from his periphery of two guys hovering close to his date.

Momoi stopped as well, following Aomine’s gaze. She saw Yorukami being manhandled by one of them, lifting her by the collar of her blouse. Yet the girl didn’t seem eager to fight back, her arms slack on her side. It alarmed the pink-haired, but when she turned to her childhood friend, he remained rooted in place.

She tried to nudge him into action, but it seemed he wanted to watch how his date would handle that situation. And it angered her, that this man was so heartless to leave a girl in distress to fend for her own when he could be there helping her.

“Dai-chan, you’re the wors-” she cut herself off when she saw his face, navy blue orbs ignited, blazing in rage, a feral glare. And she interpreted his inaction as a sign of resistance to his own fury.

So she took it upon herself to help, but when her gaze returned to Yorukami’s direction, the guy had already released her, a mix of frustration and embarrassment on his face, and then they were leaving.

Without a word, Aomine left in a hurry, marching straight to the restaurant’s entrance. And Momoi understood, perhaps the teen wanted a few words with the guys who dared lay a hand on the girl. And when she recalled how angry he looked earlier, the pink-haired found herself smiling at the idea that perhaps, the basketball idiot was concerned after all.

* * *

Despite the coldness she flounced like a shield, and the brave act she put on display, Yorukami Ruri really liked Aomine Daiki.

Really **really _ **really**_** liked him.

Before she met the Miracle ace, she believed a man who could look at her with such indifference didn’t exist. But when they crossed paths once, all he did was look her over with a bored expression, an entirely perfunctory sweep, the shortest glance a man had ever offered. It shocked her immensely, and it damaged her pride considerably, resulting in anger and vexation initially. But what had started as hatred had eventually blown into awe and admiration. She determined he was a man who couldn’t be easily swayed by mere appearances, someone she had to thoroughly work hard for, and before she knew it she had fallen head over heels for him.

Since then, she had opened her ears about the rumors floating around him, and it shocked her when she heard about his reputation when it came to basketball. She had watched some of their games, and the way he played mesmerized her. It was amazing to think that someone like her, who was previously uninterested with the sport had become increasingly interested just because of one person.

So she agonized about date venues and figured it was best to let him see what she was like in return. She wanted to win points, so she had to impress him with something he also enjoyed. Thankfully, her brother loved arcades, and she was confident with her skills when it came to every game arcades had to offer, even the one that relied heavily on luck. Hopefully, the object of her affections would come to love them too.

She arrived at Maji Burger five minutes earlier, still extremely anxious about their first special date. She knew he was hard to please, so she never expected him to be on time. However, when an hour had passed, she felt a looming threat, her heart pounding erratically when she glanced at her wristwatch, that which she buried deep within her brain - maybe she’d get stood up.

It was her own fault, a stupid slip-up, that she forgot to ask for his number. There had been a lot of chances presented to her, a lot of times she could have asked for his number, and yet it completely slipped her mind. Perhaps, she enjoyed his company a little too much, that her brain would turn into mush every time he was around, her brilliance reduced to idiocy when she heard the drumming baritone of his voice.

But she was prepared, the guy was her greatest adversary to date so she brought a handy book - a hopeless romantic novel, really, that she kept as reference for romancing men. She had no love for those types of books before, but ever since Aomine Daiki happened, she found herself purchasing a number of those.

“Hey there, gorgeous. A remarkable beauty, and yet left alone all by yourself.” A voice to her right, the compliment slithered across her skin, then off it left without a trace. It was entirely familiar to her, spoken a hundred times wrapped in the same promise in different voices, different choice of words - almost forgotten since she immersed herself in thoughts of a certain blue-haired boy.

“I am aware,” she said then, not sparing them a second glance, uncaring of the coldness and unwelcoming tone she used. She was not there to make acquaintances nor to be picked up by random strangers, but she kept her voice leveled, careful so as not to make enemies out of them either.

However, the mere act of ignoring their presence had easily offended them, but they faltered on taking immediate action, intimidated by her calm beauty, cold and confident. But the man saw her as a girl still, someone weak and frail, and he unceremoniously grabbed her by the collar of her blouse, to cause fear and demand respect. “You think you’re hot shit, bitch?!” He snarled the words, clear anger eminent on his face.

She did not seem startled, if anything her face was a deadpan. “Let go.” She simply said, yet there was a certain edge to it that made him slightly tremble.

His eyes fell on the book that had toppled over the table, its cover he mentally read, and when it dawned on him a sinister smirk graced his face. “I see… If you’re so hot, why are you getting stood up?”

Irritation sparked within her, fierce as a small fire at the unwanted remark, at the gall to rub it in. “ ** _Leave_** ,” she snapped, obsidian orbs bulging, teeth bared in a menacing grimace. “Fail to pick up girls and you resort to violence. Endearing.”

It startled them, the ferocity of one girl. A certain heaviness enveloped them, and somehow all attention were on them, making the already suffocating atmosphere more unbearable for them to stick around. And so, the thug decided to let her go, his fingers slowly withdrawn, and then he felt embarrassed at the commotion they caused, as well as frustrated at his defeat.

Her pride wounded, she felt like crying even after repelling her offenders. What they spoke of was true, she was probably stood up by then. But without a way to contact her dearly beloved, she refused to assume the worst and remained hopeful for his arrival. So she puffed out her chest and raised her chin a little higher, enveloping herself with the cold facade she had been so used to playing that it looked so natural on her. As she resumed her read, she pursed her lips a little harder than usual, holding back tears of pain, sadness and disappointment for a love she believed lost so early before it even began.

“Get out of the way!”

“Yeah?”

The second voice sounded extremely familiar, something she adored and missed, and her prayers had been answered once she turned around to find its source.

Aomine Daiki stood tall by the entrance, his presence looming large and dark. He eyed the guys who had bumped against him, navy blue orbs sloping down in a piercing glare. “You said something?”

The thugs visibly flinched, clearly frightened at the taller man, and with a humiliating shriek they ran past him, sprinting off to somewhere faraway to escape. The blue-haired teen watched them with a withering glare, and then decided to scratch his ear when they were out of his sight. He then turned to his left, meeting the raven-haired girl’s gaze, and for a moment they only stared at each other, seemingly lost in their own world.

A smile then, radiant and warm. “I’m glad you’re here,” she paused, hesitation crossing her features for a moment, “D-Daiki,” she blushed, making her look ever lovelier to the tan boy, and as she managed to hold his gaze despite the loud noises coming from her chest, he offered back a smirk.

“Yeah. I’m here, Ruri.”

Aomine was relieved she didn't lash out on him like some other girl he knew too well. Yorukami didn't even seem the least bit angry at him for being late, smiling at him so prettily it actually made him feel guilty for making her wait.

 _Hold up, I feel guilty?_ It was a first, and he had never predicted he was going to fall deeply from that moment forward.

Then, Momoi Satsuki caught up to him.

"Ah, Ruri. This is Satsuki, my childhood friend and manager." Aomine said dutifully, gesturing to the pink-haired girl who was still lost in her thoughts and was busy wrestling against her internal turmoil. He looked at her for a moment before rubbing the back of his neck and then sighing, "She's the reason why I'm late. Scold her all you want."

"It's okay," Yorukami replied almost immediately, making Momoi jolt in unease. And the polite smile that followed further alarmed the Analyst. "Have you eaten lunch yet? Go ahead and order up. I'll wait for the both of you here."

She shifted in her seat and resumed to finishing her half-eaten burger, her obsidian eyes already glued back to the ridiculous pastel pink book she'd been reading, already unawares of the look of suspicion Aomine had thrown her way. He was not completely naive about the emotional roller coaster girls possessed, and the reason he ignored their subtle changes of moods was because he simply did not care.

However, Yorukami already proved to be different. Her composure was a tough shell to break, it was near-impossible to read her mind. He found it to be such a curious thing, that he was getting concerned with how the gears of his date's mind worked when he previously didn't care.

And perhaps it took him a long time standing around in hesitation, that Yorukami was prompted to lift her face and check on him. She wore an expression that can be construed as wonder, easily morphing into worry with a slight curl of her brows. And in response to that he released a sigh before giving her a brief nod and turning to his heels without giving her a second look.

Suddenly, Momoi was left alone--alone together with **the** Yorukami Ruri.

Similar to Aomine Daiki being a prodigy in basketball, Yorukami Ruri was a genius in terms of academics, and as an intelligence gatherer, Momoi was fully aware of the sable-haired girl's reputation. In a school where ability spoke louder than everything else, her brilliance in academics garnered her fame and reverence among students and teachers alike. Touou's basketball manager naturally gave special attention to names involved with basketball, but due to her childhood friend's subpar academic performance, she had long considered approaching the so-called Empress for help in improving his grades.

Yet despite her cheerful and outgoing attitude, she found it strangely hard to approach the girl.

The clock kept ticking and then she flinched, the first sign of her comprehension to the current situation. She hurriedly pulled down her hoodie and removed her face mask and sunglasses to reveal her face to the other, and perhaps it was adrenaline which caused her to grab Yorukami's hands so eagerly, and, "I'm Momoi Satsuki, of the same class! I'm very happy to be acquainted with you, Yorukami-san!"

The Miracle Analyst had always been very bubbly, but the enthusiasm she exhibited was geared towards veneration for the other rather than plain friendship.

A flicker of surprise passed Yorukami's face, and then she giggled delicately, "Likewise," she replied, gently shaking their hands in ceremonial acknowledgement.

Oblivious of their contact, Momoi pulled on the other a bit roughly in the exhilaration of finally making conversation, then carelessly blurted out, "Your reputation precedes you, Yorukami-san! An academic genius with a pretty face! It's hard to approach you so I'm very happy to be able to talk to you right now!"

Yorukami kept her expression blank in silent contempt at the imprudent remark, a rebellious fire in a gaze steel-cold and black as the waters of the sea meeting lava, reminding the bubbly manager of the gossip about the girl's severity, in which she kept a reasonable distance among her peers, offering remarks sparingly and saying only what's strictly necessary.

For a second, Momoi was under the scrutiny of a pair of obsidian orbs, almost an ironic thing, that their positions were reversed and she was the one being analyzed.

"Please skip the pleasantries. What brings you here, Momoi-san?"

There was an edge to her words - not for the needless compliments, but something else entirely. A wariness so vivid it thrummed between them, charging the air like the tense lull before a break of thunder. She had come uninvited.

"Oh, how rude of me!" Momoi quickly released Yorukami's hand and stepped back, bowing deeply in an apology. "Sorry for crashing into your date! I was so excited when I found out and I wanted to greet the person bold enough to approach that dork. Please forgive me, Yorukami-san!"

There was a pregnant pause, and it unnerved her, that the other female hadn't offered an immediate reply. And it drove her imagination wild, in which Yorukami resented her for the impulsive behavior she demonstrated, or perhaps, the girl felt alarmed by her association with the blue-haired wonder.

She must had mistaken her a rival for Aomine's affection.

Momoi almost choked at her own thoughts. She couldn't even begin to imagine the Empress burning in jealousy for the very same boy who she knew was lazy, mean and irresponsible - all traits rendering him unappealing to any sane girl around.

Yet he was attractive nonetheless, and he even caught the eye of the cold Yorukami.

So when it dawned on her, she no longer could resist her curiosity. And before she knew it, she had lifted her head up, staring straight at the other, her large pink eyes impatient and unapologetic as she decisively threw all tact and delicacy out the window, and then blatantly asked, "Why Aomine-kun?"

"What does that question imply, Momoi-san?" She retorted sharply, that cutting edge creeping into her voice again as she met her gaze squarely, the challenge clear in her words.

And it confirmed the Miracle Analyst's thoughts - Touou's Empress had been reduced to a girl crazy in love, recklessly jumping into conclusions and mindlessly attacking with words, sharp like a blade that could cut through any weak-minded lass foolish enough to chase after the object of her affection.

Momoi should be angry, displeased, or perhaps disappointed with Yorukami's attitude. However, on the contrary, she was all too amused with this new-found knowledge than she'd like to admit, because the sable-haired girl was a very daunting entity, her background and accomplishments spoke for herself - a woman of poise, brilliant and elegant both in mind and appearance, yet she was still just a girl, with feelings and emotions just like any other, completely vulnerable to falling in love.

Still, she felt rather offended being accused, though only indirectly, of pining over her childhood friend when in fact she was deeply in love with a much, much better man than the tanner-skinned teen.

"Please be at ease, Yorukami-san. He and I are nothing more than childhood friends." Momoi told her, almost sounding defensive, raising her index finger as if to get a point across. "There's nothing going on between us. That's a common mistake people tend to make of us."

She sniffed, perfectly conveying her contempt towards the poorly constructed reply she was offered. "Yet, you are here," she lifted her chin a little in an act of looking down on the other, "And I'll be hard-pressed to find a bigger lie." She flicked her hair, and, "If you've come here expecting an easy game, then you've misjudged me," she announced.

It came as a great shock, that the seemingly aloof Empress was just as ruthless as the rumors made her out to be. Her eyes cut sharp, an obsidian blade that could kill if looks were capable of it. It was perhaps the reason why she felt the sable-haired girl was hard to approach, because subconsciously, she felt her subdued hostility. And now that it was openly directed at her, she thoroughly felt it, the burning ferocity from the girl's ice-cold gaze.

 _So this is Touou's Empress, Yorukami Ruri_. Momoi thought to herself, and then a wide smile graced her face, that which she could hardly suppress just from the mere notion of a feral serpent tamed by none other than her shitty childhood friend.

It was absurd, and she ended up helplessly guessing whatever it was that made this fierce woman fall over such a slacker of a man.

"Aomine-kun loves basketball more than anything else." Momoi unceremoniously began, her large pink eyes looking straight at the now-dumbfounded Yorukami. Despite that, she continued nonetheless, and her smooth voice conveyed a sincerity that even the cold genius could not fathom to grasp its roots. "Basketball is what he enjoys doing the most, so you'll have to at least know its basics. You don't necessarily need to be able to play it but you'll have to be willing to go with him and watch him play on street courts. Also, he eats a lot. Real lots. So you'll want to hone your cooking skills if you want to please him."

"Uh, Momoi-san?"

She ignored the utter confusion written all over Yorukami's face and continued, now with increasing enthusiasm, leaning closer to the girl with her index finger raised still. "His favorite food is Teriyaki burger, and he likes insect hunting, particularly cicadas. Oh, if you're going to invite him to another date, you'll have to schedule it late in the afternoon, he'll be sleeping in." She then promptly grabbed her hands together, beaming eagerly as she declared next, "I'm not an enemy, Yoru-chan! In fact, I'm your greatest ally!"

Needless to say, Yorukami was left flabbergasted. She seemed startled at the nickname she was given, but didn’t show any sign of disliking it. Momoi was like a tumultuous tornado, and for all of Yorukami's calmness and sobriety, she struggled to catch onto the other female's pace. And in spite of herself, the avid distrust she once held so tightly for the pink-haired loosened somewhat as she gazed at her large pink eyes, shining in anticipation and unadulterated joy. Then, Yorukami decided it wouldn't be so bad to give her the benefit of the doubt and allow her a chance to earn her trust.

* * *

Touou’s basketball ace and their manager soon found themselves at an arcade, and it seemed such an odd and foreign place when they thought about the individual who led them there.

"She's a scholar, right…?" Momoi muttered softly to herself, conflicted at how she should feel about their current location.

“My brother used to bring me here after school.” Yorukami told them, oblivious of the puzzled expressions and looks of shock her company wore. “We’d play games until dusk, then eat dinner at a ramen stall on our way home,” she added rather childishly eager, and her fondness at the memory was audible.

As soon as they entered the place, their ears rang from the scattered booming noises of loud speakers, video game machines, chattering and shouting. It was a very loud, noisy place, lively with groups of young lads and lasses. It wasn't very crowded, yet the multicolored teens seemed to struggle traversing the place. On the other hand, Yorukami proceeded with ease and got to the counter fast.

“I didn’t expect Yoru-chan to like this sort of place.” Momoi commented, giving each arcade machines a quick glance. “I mean, she’s smart, so I figured she’d prefer bookstores and libraries over this...this...”

Aomine suddenly laughed, amused at this unexpected side of the so-called Empress. “Interesting. I wonder if she can play basketball on the playstation,” he muttered as he scanned the place, eagerly looking for the hoops game.

Momoi giggled, perhaps she was too quick to judge, and if her childhood friend enjoyed that kind of date, maybe the two of them were a good match for each other.

The three of them indulged in everything the arcade place has to offer, but they mostly spent their time playing with the hoops. They stayed there for only an hour, because Momoi insisted they should go to some place more romantic, like for example, a quiet park. Yorukami didn’t quite agree to her suggestion, and Aomine even looked disgusted at her proposition, but the pushy Analyst seemed to have a way with words that she was able to convince them later.

However, Momoi wasn’t exactly a lucky person, because instead of being granted her fantasy of the couple having a quiet, sweet, romantic date, she found herself sitting right next to Yorukami at the side benches as they both watched Aomine play a few guys on an open basketball court.

Touou's manager pouted her mouth in annoyance. She had failed to take into consideration the route to get to that park couples frequent. She had planned to leave the two of them there and sneakily take pictures while they were getting to know each other better, then maybe she'd be able to catch a glimpse of the blue-haired idiot acting sweet to a girl, or maybe even see him become such a blushing mess in front of the Empress - that would be a sight, she excitedly admitted.

She was brought back to reality when her childhood friend took another formless shot, scoring for the nth time already. Then an enthusiastic applause beside her sounded, **again** , which she realized she'd been hearing every time the Miracle Ace scored. Taking a glance at the sable-haired girl, Momoi checked how the girl was taking their somewhat ruined date. Contrary to what the Analyst initially suspected, Yorukami seemed a little _too_ overjoyed - her eyes sparkled in excitement and pure affection as she watched her object of affection shine on the field, and it got Momoi thinking, subconsciously speaking her mind aloud--

“You really like Aomine-kun, huh?”

Yorukami gave her a long, skeptical look and, "You make it sound like a bad thing."

Momoi was taken aback, because although Yorukami worded it bluntly, her voice was wrapped in harmless wonder. And it made the Miracle Analyst hold her tongue, for she couldn't bring herself to tell the other how rough and painful the path leading towards her idiotic childhood friend's heart could be. She didn't want to be the one who ended up discouraging her.

But then again, Yorukami Ruri didn't seem like the type to get discouraged so easily.

"You know, being with Aomine-kun will be tough. He’s rude, egocentric and insensitive, and sometimes he goes overboard and might inadvertently hurt your feelings. He’s not exactly romantic so I hope you will be patient with him."

Yorukami blinked, looking startled. Momoi hadn’t been paying attention to her staring until she voiced, “How envious,” her lips curled up into a smile that was both sad and happy. “Despite all those negative traits you spoke of, your fondness for him is unmistakable. I wish I could be just as close like you are with him.”

Those words made Momoi anxious somehow, and, “Don’t misunderstand, Yoru-chan! It was a harmless remark-”

“I know.” Yorukami quickly replied, interrupting the Analyst’s panicked words. “Don’t worry, I understand you mean well and I appreciate that you support us,” she paused, her gaze resumed following the tan-skinned teen who continued running across the open court, and, “It’s just, I’ve done my research. I know you two have been close and have stuck with each other for a long time. And I know this may sound childish, but I couldn’t help but feel inferior every time I look at your interaction with him. It makes me especially self-conscious.”

There was no hostility from the tone of Yorukami’s voice, and it sounded more of a bittersweet acceptance which Momoi found strangely endearing. She felt a nagging urge to ask again why and how she fell for **the** Aomine Daiki, truly a wonder, because the cold genius wasn’t cold at all, rather, she was too precious to be paired with an asshole that was her childhood friend.

And even then, she still couldn’t imagine the two as a couple - as **lovers**.


End file.
